-News n Pics : Praveen Carvalho
PALGHAR, MAHARASHTRA | June 14, 2026
Joylan Fernandes, the veteran throws specialist from Hosala, Barkur, did it again — this time with a vengeance. Competing at the Khelo Masters Games Association of Palghar District competition held on June 13th and 14th at University Ground, Mumbai, Fernandes delivered one of the most complete performances of his masters career, returning home with medals in all three throwing disciplines: gold in Shot Put, silver in Hammer Throw, and bronze in Discus Throw.
The 45+ Men's category was no contest in the Shot Put. Fernandes launched the iron ball to 10.06 metres, clinching first place and earning a Winner's Certificate from the Khelo Masters Games Association of Palghar District — an organisation affiliated to the Khelo Masters Games Association, Maharashtra. He then followed it up with a silver in Hammer Throw and rounded off a commanding two-day outing with a bronze in Discus Throw, cementing his status as the most versatile throwing athlete in the masters circuit today.
A CHAMPION FORGED OVER SEASONS
This latest medal haul is not a flash in the pan. Those who have followed Fernandes' journey know that this kind of consistency has been years in the making.
Just earlier this year, in January 2026, Fernandes stood atop the podium at the inaugural 1st United National Masters Games in Nashik — a prestigious national championship held under the banner of the Masters Games Association Maharashtra and backed by the All India Masters Sports Federation (AIMS), the Asian Masters Sports Committee, and the World Masters Sports Federation. Competing in the fiercely contested 50+ age category, he registered a commanding throw of 11.09 metres to claim the gold medal in Shot Put, outclassing elite veteran competitors from across the country and earning an official Certificate of Merit.
That national title was itself the product of a remarkable run of form in the second half of 2025. In October, Fernandes stormed the District-level open masters meet in Mumbai, taking gold in shot put and silver in hammer throw. A month later, at the Mumbai Suburban Masters Athletic Association event in Kandivli, he swept gold in shot put and discus throw, adding a silver in javelin — a performance that demonstrated his exceptional range and technical depth across all the throwing disciplines.
THE MAKING OF A MASTERS LEGEND
What sets Fernandes apart is not just the medals but the sheer breadth of his achievement. To compete at the highest level across Shot Put, Hammer Throw, Discus Throw, and Javelin simultaneously demands not only raw power but meticulous training, precise technique, and extraordinary physical conditioning — qualities that most athletes struggle to maintain even in their prime years.
Fernandes does it as a masters athlete, competing against some of the fittest veteran sportspersons in the country, and he does it repeatedly, event after event, season after season.
From the local district grounds of Mumbai to the national stage in Nashik, and now again to Palghar, his trajectory has been one of consistent upward movement. Each competition has added a new chapter to a story that is fast becoming one of the most inspiring in Indian masters athletics.
PRIDE OF BARKUR AND COASTAL KARNATAKA
Back home in Barkur, a small coastal town in Karnataka's Udupi district, Fernandes is a source of immense pride. His achievements have placed this quiet community on the national athletics map, proving that world-class sporting excellence is not the exclusive preserve of big cities or well-funded academies.
His triple-medal performance at Palghar is sure to inspire fellow athletes — young and old alike — from across the district to take up competitive sport and push their boundaries. In an era where masters athletics is gaining serious momentum across India, Joylan Fernandes stands as its most compelling ambassador: a man who competes not despite his age, but with the full wisdom and fire that come with it.
The Barkur community, the masters athletics fraternity, and sports lovers across coastal Karnataka extend heartfelt congratulations to Joylan Fernandes on yet another stunning chapter in his remarkable sporting journey.